[mc_mom]

Thanks in advance.

[kharris]

Thanks in advance.

Try this link

http://www.doe.in.gov/sservices/hse2.htm

[Ang]

There is also this one:

http://www.indianahomeschooling.org/

[Ang]

Since this thread was brought up, I wanna talk about home schooling. I am seriously considering home schooling for my daughter. It has advanced great strides, especially since the rapid decline of public education. There are so many avenues for home schooling, they have support groups for parents, social groups for the kids. They plan outtings and field trips, have dances and holiday parties.

The other day I was talking to a fella I know who home schooled his daughter. He took her out of public school when she finished elementary (age 11). By the time she was 15 she had completed the entire high school cirruculum and is now taking college courses. As I understand it, the "graduation" test you take is different from a GED so you don't have to be 17 to take it and then wait till you're 18 to get the GED diploma (like my son had to do), but it's basically the same test just called a different name.

She is now 16 and a student at Casper College. She is very intelligent and mature for her age and she does extremely well in social situations. Very adult and responsible acting. I was incredibly impressed with her and found myself in a very intelligent and stimulating conversation. When she told me she was only 16 I about fell over! Her parents are not scholars either. The mother has only a high school education and the father quit school at 16 and didn't get his GED till after his daughter got her high school equivalancy diploma.

Does anyone on the board have any experiences with home schooling? I'd like to hear about it if you do.

[Michelle]

There are a many homeschooling resources at the library (MC Public Library, although La Porte County probably has a similar collection). Just ask at the children's department or the reference desk.

edit: obv this doesn't work for you, Ang, but you should check your local library as well

[mc_mom]

Thanks in advance.

I am very seriously considering it as well Ang. I have really had it with these schools. Theres a lot I cant talk about right now though...

[Ang]

I understand. It's part of the reason I now live in Wyoming and a huge reason why I won't move back to MC. City is my home and I love it, but not in its current condition.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Way back when, I was wondering about where my son should go to HS. He is now at MCHS, doing very well, has good teachers, friends, etc. I do not accept the broadbrush attack on the MC schools despite the cheating teachers, Jonathon Bradford, and that ilk. Puh-lenty of very good stuff goes on, and like we would expect, the bell curve has two pointed ends. Where any child is on the curve has lots to do with the interest in education the child has internalized from the home, maturity, and so on; the work of the schools may be seen as transforming this 'raw material' into the civilized person we know is there.

[Southsider2k12]

Way back when, I was wondering about where my son should go to HS. He is now at MCHS, doing very well, has good teachers, friends, etc. I do not accept the broadbrush attack on the MC schools despite the cheating teachers, Jonathon Bradford, and that ilk. Puh-lenty of very good stuff goes on, and like we would expect, the bell curve has two pointed ends. Where any child is on the curve has lots to do with the interest in education the child has internalized from the home, maturity, and so on; the work of the schools may be seen as transforming this 'raw material' into the civilized person we know is there.

95% plus of teachers at MCHS are excellent. Depending on what sort of student your child is, they may well benefit at MCHS, as upper level kids do very well there.

And a good point in the last part of your post. Education begins at home. A large problem in the MCAS is that many of the kids in our system don't have the support system at home that prepares them for an education. It really polarizes the abilities of our kids, as we really don't have a true middle group in MC anymore. With the collapse of manufacturing in MC, we have a very poor group and a very rich group. There are very few of us left in the middle, as opposed to most communities where the lions share of people are in the middle.

[Roger Kaputnik]

And this middle class is shrinking.

[Ang]

I don't disagree that there are wonderful teachers in Michigan City. Yes, there are a few bad apples (no pun intended) but for the most part, the teachers are caring and very concerned for our children's education and well being.

It's the people those teachers work for who has my goat. Those are the people we need to remove. Notice I said earlier, we have to clean house at Carroll Ave. I didn't say MCHS or Elston or Knapp, just Carroll Ave.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Amen, amen!

[ChickenCityRoller]

I can put you in touch with some people who have home schooled thier kids if you're interested. Just send me a P.M.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Seen some good, some bad.